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African Expeditions – Henchmen and Supplies in 1910

In my quest for Africa-related illustration, I’ve delved into a couple old books found at Project Gutenberg. Besides a few usable illustrations, I also found a few interesting tidbits from the age of safaris, when the process for going out into the wilderness wasn’t too different from what it might be like in a game of D&D.

(4) Tent Boys: Personal servants of the “adventurers”; wait on tables, do washing, make sure water is boiled and purified, fill water bottles; $7/month

(80) Porters: Carry camp from place to place, each carrying 60 lb. on head, then set up camp, get firewood, carry what game is shot by the “adventurers”; $3/month

(4) Saises: Grooms, one for each mule or horse; $4/month

(20) “Totos”: Means “little boy”, they are not hired, but come along as stowaways, carry small loads and help brighten the camp; paid food and lodging.

Gun bearer, askari, tent boy, porter

By my count, that would be something like a sergeant-at-arms, 12 men-at-arms, one specialist (the cook) and 108 “torchbearers”. The total cost is $542 per month.

It was required by law that each porter be provided with, at minimum, a water bottle, blanket and sweater. Uniforms, water bottles, shoes and blankets were provided for all others.

They had 20 tents for the entire expedition – if you assume one tent per adventurer, then you’re looking at an average of seven or eight people per tent – probably more in some tents, since the head-man and cook probably got their own tents.